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PATENTBD SEPT. 20, 1904.

V. J. LAWSON. CLAMP FOR HAT PRESSING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17| 1904.

NO MODEL.

WITNESSES:

IN VE N TOR i672 cent JZazz/aww A TTOHNE Y8 VINCENT J. LAWSON,

Patented September 20, 190 1.

PATENT OFFICE.

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CLAMP FOR HAT-PFQiESSING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,593, dated September 20, 1904.

' Application filed June 1'7, 1904. Serial No. 213,025. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VINCENT J. LAWSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Clamp, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates particularly to a clamp intended for use in connection with hat-pressing machines, by means of which the felt may be drawn outward from the mold in case the felt does not reach to the edges thereof.

The invention resides in certain special features of construction and arrangement of parts, which will be fully set forth hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, showing one embodiment of my invention, in which drawings like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is avertical section of a hat pressing or forming machine, showing the clamps in use in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section of the clamp, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same.

In Fig. 1, a and Z) indicate the mold-sections, and c the felt of which the hatis formed. The present invention is employed to draw out the felt, so that its edges lie at or beyond the outer edges of the mold. In effecting this result two or more clamps are engaged with the felt, and bya strain manually applied through the clamps the felt may be drawn out, as indicated in Fig. 1.

The clamp comprises two jaws 10 and 11, the latter having a groove 11 in its upper edge, receiving the correspondingly-tapered lower edge of the jaw 10, and both jaws are arc-shaped in form, as indicated in Fig. 3, causing them approximately to conform to the marginal shape of the mold. The jaws 10 and 11 are respectively carried on shanks 12 and 14, of which the shank 12 is provided with a recess 12, receiving a lug 14 on the shank 14. The parts are pivotally joined at this point by a pin 15, and it will be observed that the swinging movement of the shanks 12 and 14 from each other is limited by the engagement of the lug 14 with the walls of the recess 12 in the manner indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 2.

16 indicates a spring which is fastened to the shank 14 and bears against the under side of the shank 12, this spring tending to throw the jaws from each other.

The jaws may be moved toward each other and held in clamping or active position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, by means of an elbowlever 17 which is mounted to swing on a pin 18, carried in two lugs 19, which project from the jaw 11 and pass through openings 12 in the jaw 10. The short arm of the elbow-lever 17 bears on a wear-plate 20, secured to the shank 12, and the long arm of the elbow-lever is adapted to extend upward in the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, in which position the jaws 10 and 11 are separated, or to extend downward alongside of the shank 12, in which position the jaws 10 and 11 will be engaged together. The jaw 10 is provided with one or more horns 21, which project upward from the jaw and are adapted to engage the upper section of the mold or press, as shown in Fig. 1.

In the use of the invention the felt is placed between the mold-sections in the usual manner, and in case the felt is not large enough,

to extend to or beyond the edges of the mold the jaws 10 and 11 of two or more clamps are engaged with the felt and tightened together by throwing out the elbow-lever 17 in the position shown by full lines in Fig. 2. Then by engaging the horns 21 with the upper mold and rocking upward the clamps the felt may be drawn out from between the mold or press sections, and thus a section of felt originally too small for the mold or press may be conveniently stretched out to the desired size.

Various changes in the form, proportions, and minor details of my invention may be resorted to at will without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Hence I consider myself entitled to all such variations as may lie within the terms of my claims.

Having thus described my invention. I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1 A clamp comprising two sections each having a jaw and a shank, a pivotal connection between the shanks, alug projecting from gether, and a horn projecting laterally from one of said sections past the other, an elbow one jaw for the purpose specified. lever pivoted on the lug and engaging said lntestimony whereoi'lhavesigned my name sections, and a horn projecting from one of to this specification in the presence of two sub- 5 the jaws for the purpose specified. h scribing witnesses.

2. A clamp comprising two sections eac having a jaw and a shank, a pivot connecting VINCENT LAWSON the shanks at the end opposite the jaws, a Witnesses: spring tending to separate the jaws, means ISAAC B. OWENS, IO acting between the jaws to move them to- JNO. M. BITTER. 

